This time, I am really back!!

Hello there lovelies,

Hope you all are doing pretty well and having the best of life. I know you guys must be thinking that what the hell, where was she and why is she back again with an “I am BACK!” post. Frankly I don’t know where to start, but firstly, I missed you guys … like literally. Missed every bit of it and I often used to log on to my blog suspecting how many of you have stood by me since my disappearance and I am amazed that I have gained followers instead! So thank you guys once again for your immense love and support that I am not worth of, like seriously!

Anyway, to keep this post short and moving, this time I am really back! Yes! I am going to get my lazy bum back into the blogging world because I have so much to talk about and so much to share.

The past few months, or year, has been really wrecking for me since I hardly got time for myself as being a full time mum is NOT easy. Its like whenever you go to bed you think that okay tomorrow its going to be a little resting day but instead it turns into a full workout day. Going up the stairs, going down the stairs, cleaning poops, washing puked up clothes … Ahh … life’s so much fun.

But I am enjoying as everyday is a new day for me as I see my little grow more and more each day. And a part of me feels so proud that yes, I can do it as I am doing it.

So, yes .. this time I am surely back and want you guys to support me as I have some really good stuff lined up for you guys. Might as well start filming as I love watching youtube videos but that’s just a thought I have to think upon.

Till then you guys stay happy and healthy and keep your eyes open for my next post!

Love you,

Sarah

Whats In : My Bag

Hello there beauties,

Hope you all are doing well and enjoying the weather as much as I am. Frankly, I am just waiting for the lovely spring/summer to come around my corner so that I can have a nice time out cause I am not a big winter fan.

Anyway moving on to my post, today I have a very interesting one and this is basically a TAG post in which I am tagging you all to share with me what you currently are carrying or have in your bag.

Basically all you have to do is share a picture of whats in your bag (and please no alterations) and if you have a blog like me, just make a post out of it mentioning all the things. It should be impromptu i.e. you should just grab your handbag, empty all the contents out, take a picture and share.

So, whom am I tagging? All of YOU! Those who are reading this …

If you do not have a blog, you can always share pictures on my facebook fan page and I’ll post them separately on my blog … fun innit?

So lets get started!!

Okay, so currently I am carrying a denim blue coloured across body satchel purse by Dorothy Perkins. Here’s a peek inside …

And here are the contents of my baggy.

• 1-    my oyster card [used for travelling purposes]
• 2-      random ducky, don’t know what it was doing in my purse. Its my daughter’s actually.
• 3-      my Victoria Secrets Enchanted Apple perfume
• 4-      Vaseline Rosy Lips Lip Therapy – in short a lip balm
• 5-      River Island Wallet
• 6-      My moisturiser – Johnsons Baby Moisturising Cream
• 7-      Next Sunglasses
• 8-      A notebook
• 9-      Headphones
• 10-    Another notebook with pens
• 11-   Make up bag
• 12-   Cellphones
• 13-   Eco-tools brush bags with brushes
• 14- A comb and some chewing gums.

In the inner pocket of my bag this is what's inside...

So girls, this is what I carry around with me in my bag/purse. Hope to see what you girls carry around with you as well.

Till then, have fun and stay gorgeous.

Review - Rimmel Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder

Hey beauties,

Hope you all are well and uptight, having the best days of your life. Wow, this seems to rhyme as well doesn’t it? anyway, today ill be presenting a review for you lovelies on the Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder by Rimmel London.  

It is basically a skin clarifying and mattifying pressed powder which aims to give you a clear and shine free skin upto 5 hrs of its wear.

Rimmel London Says:

- Pure and shine-free finish for up to 5 hours.

- Clarifies skin thanks to PureSkin TM complex known to minimize skin breakouts.

- Controls shine and mattifies skin.

- Contains Natural minerals and is dermatologically tested.

My Thoughts:

I got this item from BOOTS while browsing through the some of the beauty stands there and it immediately caught my attention with its tiffany blue packaging. I was looking for a matte translucent powder that wouldn’t give me a sparkly finish that I really don’t adore.

Packaging:

The Rimmel Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder comes in a palm size tiffany blue coloured round tub with a transparent plastic lid. The packaging isn’t that great but considering all the powder range packaging from Rimmel, they’re all the same. So the packaging really didn’t impress me at all if it wasn’t for the tiffany blue coloured tub. Surprisingly, this product doesn't come with an applicator.

Product:

The product, as mentioned, is a pressed powder which seems as if it will give you some colour when applied, is basically a very light nude coloured pressed powder which, when applied, mattifies your skin without giving you any colour whatsoever.

It comes in a net weight of 16 gms (which makes it about 0.56 oz) and in only one shade which is Transparent.

My Verdict:

Personally, I only picked this product just because I was looking for a product that would keep my oily face looking matte through out the day. I have a combination skin but my T-zone is really oily, so I need to mattify it it keep it looking intact during the day when I am out and about. When I got to know that it is a clarifying powder and is known to minimize skin break outs (not that my skin has broken out with any powder or foundation that I have ever used), I instantly got myself one.

Frankly, I really love this product because its just so light as if you have nothing on your face. It does mattify your skin (which I wanted) without adding any hint of colour. You do need to do touch ups every now and then (probably after every 4-5 hrs if you have really oily skin) to avoid oil spillage over your face.

This product would have been even better if Rimmel gives a little more attention to the packaging of its products.

And that's me after applying this product over my foundation.

This product ranges about £4 here in the UK and is readily available in BOOTS and SUPERDRUG (and other leading pharmacies and superstores like ASDA and Sainsburys).

Would I repurchase and recommend:

Definitely!! I think it’s an amazing product for the price you pay. Its rating is about 8/10 on the website which I think is really good

Pros:

Cheap and readily available

Does what it says, i.e. mattifying face and preventing breakouts.

Cons:

Re-application after every 4-5 hours depending on your skin type

Packaging.

So ladies, I hope that you enjoyed my review and found it helpful. Let me know what mattifying product do you guys use on your face to mattify your skin and leave it in the comment below. I would love to know.

Till then, stay pretty and get gorgeous everyday.

<3

Sarah

The Birth Story - A summary of my journey from pregnancy to giving birth ...

Hey guys,

Hope you all are doing well and making the best out of your beautiful self. Today, I am writing a very special post which is dedicated to “motherhood” and I am pretty sure that after reading this post, you’d definitely hug your mum and if your mum is not there, just hug the one who stands after her … I am just summarizing everything so that this post doesnt get boring ...

When I found out that I am expecting, I was teeming with both excitement and fret. Excitement; that I finally get to experience and feel what is called *pregnancy* and fret; whether I was ready for this huge change. The first few months (the initial 3-4 months) were monsters for me and I felt miserable. I had the most active senses; the smell and the taste … and I puked a lot. Not to mention the mood swings, and man were they terrifying and bad. All I wanted to do was to cry and just go back to my parents and never come back, or just rewind everything and get back at being single.

 But then time passed and I was on the heavenly diet of cheesecakes and gourmet ice-creams (nom nom) as I was told (by my parents and my relatives back home) that I have to eat for two. When confided by the books and the doctors, I really did have to eat for myself and no one else. Yes, I had to eat healthy but definitely not for 2! And the mood swings were still there … dammit!

Anyway, overall my pregnancy went really well apart from the morning sickness and all the vomiting from the first trimester. I was thankful to God for whatever I went through was never like my friends and God their pregnancy was really bad.

Moving on, during my 8^th month of pregnancy, I could hardly walk as my pelvic bone ached really bad but still I wanted to go out and walk the whole Oxford Street, I know, silly me. But I had to walk as it was highly recommended. Anyway, my baby was due on the 24^th of April and by that time, there was no sign of the baby whatsoever. Then on the night of 25^th April, I started having some kind of pains which I misunderstood by what the books said, “contractions” , I was taken to my hospital where I was to give birth to. After arriving there, I was told that the pains were not contractions and I was in the first stage of labour. The pains were hideous and I thought to myself, if these aren’t contractions then what are?

The pain, then started to kick in, as in, the intensity build in and they were miserable. I haven’t felt the kind of pain before, never in my entire life. Initially I told the nurse that I will NOT take epidural whatsoever and I would just take Gas and Air (which is supposed to ease up the pain) but I decided to go with the epidural as I tried every pain killing medication given to me. Despite of all the harsh stuff I heard about Epidural, I took it nonetheless and I tell you, the moment it was given to me, I was in heaven … though my legs and lower abdomen were numb and I couldn’t feel or move them, the pain was nowhere to be found.

My labour lasted for about a day and a half (more that 36 hours ... ) which had a lot of pain in the beginning, some really tasty meals, a very lovely midwife whom I talked to and felt good and at 3 a.m. in the morning of 27^th of april, my God blessed me with a baby girl who looked just like her dad (and she still does), and that was the time when I missed my mum so much that I cant tell. Although my mother in law was by my side all the time and I am utterly grateful to her for bearing with my babblings during the labour, I missed my mom so much.

I tell you guys, being a mom is NOT an easy job. I though now that I am done with this whole phase of pregnancy, I ll just chill and relax. Oh no! this is the time where you have to be on your toes! The little ones need you 24/7. Forget about sleeping in the nights as your nights will be spent with sounds of baby cry, your hands will be busy changing nappies and you’d forget what you look like as you wont find time to look at yourself in the mirror. This is my personal experience and let me tell you, I did, for some time, went into post-natal depression.

Now that my girl is 9 months old now, I wonder when will I ever go back to the life that I used to have before. Those sleeps where I used to dream about prince charming and me riding a horse where he used to take me to exotic locations for our dates! In my case, I ll have to wait for another 2 years for these dreams to kick in as my little one DOESN’T sleep throughout the night. 

My days and my nights are dedicated to her and I tell you, the feeling of watching her grow just amazes me. There she was a few months back when I was scared of holding her as she was so small and fragile .. and here she is now, babbling and all jumped up; wants to do everything she could at once…. Its just overwhelming …

And then I miss my mom again, that the daughter I am, with all the tantrums and wishes which were tolerated and fulfilled without demanding anything, I have realised what a mother’s worth is after being a mum myself. No wonder heaven lies under her feet.

They say, you’d never realise the true value of a thing or a person, without being away from them or loosing it. And I say, I have realised what my mum is for me.

I love you mum … 

Back from the ... long break I guess ... ?!?

Hey guys,

I am back .. once again .. and I know this sounds ridiculous but I have been extremely busy for the past couple of months with my family and therefore didn’t get enough time to blog and get all jazzed up. But, finally I have taken sometime out to blog and do all the things I used to do before.

So starting off, as you all know that I gave birth to a baby girl last year in April and I said that I would share with you all my “Birth Story” but then I got a bit hesitant as to whether you guys would want to read it and know about it or not. But then it later came to me, why not just write it then .. those who would like to read it, they’d just go ahead and do that and those who wont be interested may skip it.

Now what I have for you all? I tell you, I have a lot going on these days. I have reviews, hauls, my 2011 favourites, my OOTD [Outfit Of The Day] and LOTD, some tit bits of my lil angel who has become really naughty. So do stay tuned as there is a lot of catching up to do …

So, I hope you guys are as excited to see me as I am to see you all out there, hanging in my like box. Love for all the Love you guys have given me so far … !!

And a FYI, my next post will be titled as “Birth Story” which would include how my birth giving experience was and how am I experiencing the motherhood so far.

Till then, stay pretty and let me know what you guys have been up to lately ..

Long awaited ..

Hey beauties ...

Hope you all are doing well and keeping up with the lovely weather. I know its been long since I have have posted anything on my blog, its because of the fact that I have been blessed with a lovely baby girl on the 27th of April 2011 and she has been keeping me busy ever since.

Hopefully once I and my baby doll get settled, I will surely get back with you lovelies and would share my motherhood experience with you ...

Till then, take good care of yourself and stay pretty ... 

<3

Sarah

Beauty UK Eye Quad in Browns/Neutral - Review

Aloha girls,

Yesterday I had an amazing spring-filled day as the weather was lovely throughout with hot sun and cool breeze. It surely did remind me of Karachi’s *end-of-winter* time when in a weather like this, I used to cover myself up with either a shawl or a light cardigan.

Today, I am going to talk about one of the makeup brands that is being raved about since the past couple of months and its none other than BeautyUK. My first impression of this brand was not appealing as I didn’t expect it to be one of the classy drugstore brands which would deliver quality for the price paid, but ever since watching and reading what other beauty bloggers/gurus had to say, I decided to try it out.

Now, whenever I want to try a brand out, I opt to try their eyeshadows which then gives me a fair idea of what the brand is capable of delivering. Same happened with this brand. Although I was given the opportunity to go through its booth at the local drugstores here, but I never grasped it and hence end up buying one of its product online i.e. on ebay.

It was so naïve of me to get a product that has been discontinued by the company itself, which I came to know later but nevertheless, I got what I was looking for.

I got this beautiful looking BeautyUk eye-quad in Browns [neutral tones] for £1.69 including P&P which I thought was a great bargain and couldn’t wait to swatch it and try it out.

The package was delivered to me within 2 days and I was literally amazed at the size of the container/tub it came in. I didn’t expect it to be an approximate size of that of my palm. YES! It is this big of a container/tub and my BodyShop eye trio in Sundown Glow seemed like a newborn infront of it.

Packaging:

This eyeshadow quad comes in a round black plastic tub/container with a transparent lid. The container holds 

about 9.72 g of the product and has the list of all the ingredients at the back of the tub.

The Eyeshadows:

BeautyUk claims that their eyeshadows are as good as any high-end product with fine pigmentation and an wonderful colour pay off. These quads, which has been discontinued and palettes have taken their place now, comes in different shades including that of blues, greens and purples.

The Browns, are specifically designed and created to give you a soft natural eye look to that of the intensifying bronzy eyes.

with flash

My thoughts:

The moment I swatched the lovely shades embedded in the tub, I fell in love with it as the color payoff and the pigmentation was surely something I didn’t expect to be that good, i.e. the shadows are surely pigmented and the colour payoff was just incredible. Moreover, they blended nicely with eachother and the transition it gave was something I definitely didn’t expect.

without flash

It quad comes in 4 shadows; Dark brown with gold undertone to it, a deep but somewhat shimmery copper colour with brown trace, a light camel coloured shadow with light brown undertones and lastly a matte pearly white highlight shade.

I am really impressed by this quad and I think it is just perfect to create natural/neutral eyes with either keeping it simple or intensifying it depending on your needs. Easy to carry and as I like to put it, can effortlessly fit into your makeup bag.

For the price I paid, this product is much more of a worth. Although you cant get these in stores but you can definitely get your hands on this lovely piece online.

Hope you found this review helpful and informative. Please don’t hesitate to comment below as I love to hear what you guys have to say. I have also done a look using this quad which I will be posting soon as a tutorial, so do keep your eyes open. ^_^

Till then, stay pretty and enjoy the lovely spring.

<3

Sarah

My Spring Lips - Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks - Review

Howdy ladies,

As you all know I am quite excited that my favourite season *Spring* is here and since its my first spring in the UK, I have planned to make the full out of it. Since this spring is all about Corals, Peaches, Nudes and Pinks; I decided to get myself some lipsticks that would harmonize the season as well as my complexion.

I really wanted to get my hands on a good wearable Coral & Mauvy-pink lipstick for myself, as I did hear a lot of the beauty gurus rave about these two colours being on the top list of the Spring Lips 2011. To my surprise, I got myself two really ravishing lipsticks from Revlon which I think is simply perfect for the spring time. I got mine from an online store by the name of Cosmetic Kingdom and they have some really nice stuff, plus they offer free shipping in the UK on all orders above £5, which I thought was a bargain!

Now, the two Lipsticks that I got is from Revlon’s Super Lustrous Collection and they are:

-          Mad About Mauve (Crème)

-          Cinnamon Bronze (Pearl)

Revlon claims that their Super Lustrous Lipsticks are infused with mega-moisturizers to seal in color and softness. They have a silky-smooth, creamy texture that stays true to colour & wears evenly.

Now I tried finding these two lip-shades (online) amongst the fabulous 72 shade chart they have and was taken a bit back when I couldn’t find them. Then I got to know that they have actually changed the names while the shades are still the same.

The packaging of the lipsticks, which is made of good quality plastic, is quite nice. The lid of the cinnamon bronze has a transparent plastic top which makes it easier to spot the colour which I think is quite wise.

Mad About Mauve is a very moisturizing pinky-mauve coloured lipstick which glides easily on your lips.

It gives your lips a punch of vibrant springish colour and would complement almost every skin tone.

Cinnamon Bronze is actually a very nice coral coloured lipstick that too is moisturizing and glides on easily, giving your lips a pearly look. 

When you see the lipstick, you will notice that it has a hint of glitter/shimmer to it which surprisingly, doesn’t show up on the lips at all.

Here are the swatches of the lipsticks and how they look when applied on the lips:

Overall, I am in love with these lipsticks as I think they are just made for me to be worn in this lovely season. Now I have never worn a coral coloured lipstick as I think it would not suit my complexion (I am pretty pale btw) but when I wore it for the first time, it looked really nice on me and complemented my skin tone.

These lipsticks are retailed from £6 - £7, but I got mine for £2.25 which I was amazingly excited about.

I hope you liked my review and I would love to hear from you what coral lipsticks would you be wearing this spring.

Don’t forget to comment as you know I love to read them. Till then, take good care of yourself and stay pretty.

<3

Sarah

Get The Cover Look - The Spring Way

Bonjour il Beauties,

Hope you all are doing great and enjoying the lovely Spring to its maximum. As you all know, spring is the season we all look forward to and we girls want to get the best out of it through every aspect. So I decided to do some fashion and beauty posts on the 2011 Spring Trends and help you know what is actually IN this Spring and the stuff to go for and what is OUT, so that you don’t waste your time and get all out grooving with the spring.

Today, my post is on getting the “cover” look the spring way. This spring, its all about nudes and peachy corals when it comes to creating the “perfect” spring look.

Here is how you can achieve that perfect daytime spring look to enhance your beauty and give it a fresh “Spring-ish” feeling.

Starting off: Step 01

Blend a light weight base, onto your skin with the help of your lovely fingers, for a sheer naturally flawless finish. You can either use a tinted moisturiser or a foundation that provides medium coverage.

Once you’re done with the base, dust over some loose translucent powder and conceal any imperfections you have to set it. Remember, don’t be too heavy as we are going for a light, natural 

daytime look.

Moving on with the Eyes: Step 02

Subtly enhance your eyes by applying a warm brown eyeshadow (more of a coffee coloured one) by patting it on your lids.

Apply a caramel or a camel coloured eyeshadow just above your crease and blend the two colours together.

Next, place a dark chocolate brown coloured eyeshadow and place it into your socket area (crease) and blend with the caramel applied to give an eye opening effect.

For highlighting your brow bone, apply a nice vanilla like shadow under your eyebrows, focussing on the area under the arch of your brow and complete the look by applying brown eyeliner on both upper and lower lash lines; followed by enhancing your lashes with two coats of your favourite mascara.

Cheeks Please : Step 03

Brighten up your complexion by lightly dusting your favourite bronzer across the apples of your cheeks and swirling it on to your temples, nose and hairline.

You can also apply a peachy coral blush instead of the bronzer depending on your likes.

Lips it is: Step 04

To finish off the look, give your lips a delicately tinted sheen with any nude brown colored lipstick with a coat of a clear lipgloss or a shade slightly lighter than that of the lipstick itself. At the end, spray some confidence in you and Voila! You are ready to groove and all set to enjoy the spring.

Want to Intensify the Look?

You can intensify this look by:

-      Using a foundation that give you full coverage

-      Intensifying the eyes by: winging out your eyeliner and wear some false lashes

-      Cheek it up with both blush and the bronzer

-      Lastly, wear a vibrant colored lipstick (red or dark coral) along with a hint of a non sticky lipgloss. 

Finished look? Somewhat like this ... 

Hope you found this post helpful. Dont forget to leave your precious comments as I love reading them.

Till then,

Stay pretty

<3

Sarah